Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

I'm running home

Every time I hear the song “Home” by Phil Wickham – I’m reminded of how I can always run to my Father. And He is always there with open arms. That unconditional love is amazing and it doesn’t matter where I have been. I don’t think I fully understand that type of love until I had children of my own.

I’d love to bless you with this song now as well. So sit back, play the video, and read the lyrics. In His mighty arms is where we belong…

 Home

Phil Wickham

Come riding on a rushing wind
Blow through our hair and touch our skin
I want to feel You now like I felt You then

Strip away my calloused heart
Set Your arrow hit Your mark
Bring me back to where love starts
Bring me back to where You are

Father I'm running Father I'm coming home
I cannot go on
Your child is running, Father I'm coming home
Back where I belong

I know You've heard this all before
When I'm down and crying on the floor
Saying I want You and nothing more

But I'm breaking in my heart tonight
I've tried to stand I've tried to fight
But I cannot see without Your light
No I cannot breathe without You

When I saw you I was ashamed
You were pure and I was stained
But You ran to me and You called my name
There were tears of joy upon Your face

Such a perfect day...

Today we celebrate 6 wonderful years of marriage. Crazy in just 6 short years we've been blessed with a wonderful home and two beautiful kids. God has a BIG plan for us and it's awesome watching the plan unfold as we walk the path He has laid out for us.

Just for reminiscing purposes - here are a few of my favorite wedding pictures. That day was absolutely perfect. Praise God!

Lord, I pray you continue to smile upon our marriage as we strive to let you lead us. We lean on your for all our needs. Thank you for our blessings and our struggles. We are better together as a cord of three strands that is never broken. Amen!

 

Who's taking lead?

Lately I have been reflecting on what God is teaching me. And I have found that He's asking me a simple question...Who's taking the lead, Rachael? Since I have such a type A personality - I try to take the lead. But that's not how I was designed.

I read this in my devotional today - "Be on the lookout for what I am doing in your life. Worship Me by living close to Me, thanking Me in all circumstances." Be on the lookout. I heard "look for me and let me lead" as I read that. 

My flesh is a control freak but my soul longs to be lead by the mighty hands of my Savior. Praying. Resting in Him. Practice makes perfect, right?

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

—1 Peter 5:6–7

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

—1 Thessalonians 5:18

Wordless Wednesday

Importance of quiet time

Over the past 5 years, I have learned it is imperative that I spend time with the Lord every day. And I have to do it before my day starts. If I don't then my day easily spins downward and I allow satan to whisper lies in my ears all day. For the last few months, I have been reading Jesus Calling and it speaks truth to me everyday. Today's devotion was a great reminder of why quiet time is so important. I just wanted to share it with my readers...

May 15
Spending time alone with Me is essential for your well-being. It is not a luxury or an option; it is a necessity. Therefore, do not feel guilty about taking time to be with Me. Remember that Satan is the accuser of believers. He delights in heaping guilt feelings upon you, especially when you are enjoying My Presence. When you feel Satan’s arrows of accusation, you are probably on the right track. Use your shield of faith to protect yourself from him. Talk with Me about what you are experiencing, and ask Me to show you the way forward.Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to Me, and I will come near to you.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. “For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.”
—Revelation 12:10

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
—Ephesians 6:16

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
—James 4:7–8

 

It's a....

GIRL!!!!

Introducing Selah Grace

Born May 6 at 6:39 am

6 1/2 pounds and 19 1/2 inches 

I would like to document how my girl made her entrance into the world. 

It started around 6:00 pm on Saturday, May 5th. I had been feeling sick all day but really was pushing through and enjoying my time with Finn. Before dinner I noticed contractions coming every 8 minutes. But that was nothing new - I had been having contractions off and on for 14 days. We went out to eat (Moe's of course for the $3 burrito deal). And at dinner, I noticed the contractions getting worse. We finished up, went to store, and by the time we got home I was really hurting. I tried taking a bath, a shower, then ended up laying down. By 10:00, the contractions were 5 minutes apart and lasting 1 minute and 30 seconds. We decided better get to the hospital. Once we packed up, got my mom over, and got admitted - it was midnight. I asked for my epidural immediately. Thank goodness, because when the doctor checked me I was already halfway there. I had to wait about an hour til I got the epidural. That was a LONG hour. Once the epidural set it, the rest went super fast. And she came out very easy. 

When G announced it was a girl, I cried. I am so excited for so many things. God has truly blessed us with an angel. And I could not be more ready for this challenge of raising up a woman in this broken world. So grateful! Below are a few pictures...lots more to come!

 Just got my epidural and I'm happy!

 It was so cold in our room. Plus the IV fluids were making me shake because I was so cold on the inside. So we snuggled up - couldn't sleep. We were too excited to find out who this baby was...

 Seeing Selah's sweet face. She looks JUST like Finn.

 Welcome to our family Selah!

 Finn meeting his sister just a few hours after her birth.

A blessed decade!

Today I turn 30 years old. Hard to believe I've lived 3 decades. And I don't feel 30, I still feel like a teenager some days. But as I was reflecting back on this past decade I realize a lot happened. So I wanted to make a little list of it all. It started with college and ended with a wonderful marriage and 2 kids. WOW! God has really changed me in these 10 years. So very grateful...

1. Attended college at Kennsaw State University
2. Attended college at Reinhardt College
3. Declared my major as Business Entrepreneuship
4. Met Natasha and her mom (here's where the path turned)
5. Met Gregory
6. Graduated with honors - Bachelors in Business Entrepreneurship, minor in Accounting & Management
7. Moved to the big ATL and worked at Van Michael
8. Realized I didn't like working at such a big salon
9. Moved to Alpharetta and lived on my own for the first time in an apartment
10. Got a job as an account executive at Beneficial
11. Started management training 
12. Got engaged to my soul mate!
13. Gregory graduated college and we got married 2 weeks later on the beach that I grew up going to with my grandparents every summer!
14. 2 months later we bought our first house 
15. For 3 months we watched our home be built then we moved in!
16. I decided to leave the corporate world
17. Was offered a job at North Point
18. Joined a mentor group that would really grow me as a woman (thanks Regina)
19. Got to be a matron of honor to my life long best friend
20. Went to Cambodia for the first time 
21. Got pregnant
22. Had a healthy sweet little boy - Finn Wallace
23. Started attending Birds on a Wire group
24. Changed jobs to work for North Point Resources
25. Lowered my hours to focus on family
26. Ran a half marathon with G
27. Got to be a matron of honor to my sister
28. Celebrated 5 years of being married to my soul mate on a cruise to Bermuda
29. Went to Cambodia again
30. Got pregnant again
31. Now just waiting to deliver another sweet baby! 

I praise you Lord for all the blessings I have. I also praise for all the difficult times as you have simply pulled me closer to you through each one of them. 

Wordless Wednesday